Arimidex - Coping with the SE's
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Kate I'm on Anastrozole (Arimidex) I put on 16 lbs on chemo. I also went through chemopause. It's 7 months PFC and I'm about 3lbs heavier than before chemo… but I was pretty thin so the 3 lbs is really nothing. I haven't started back on my weights but I do power walk for 50 minutes everyday and of course watch what I eat but really I haven't changed my diet at all. I ate pretty healthy before all this.
My hair is actually thicker than before chemo. My hair dresser confirmed this. I've been on Anastrozole since March 1st.
Remember you can always try it. If you are having bad SE then you can quit. A good friend of mine was diagnosed with DCIS 2 years ago. She never did the hormone therapy like she was supposed to. She ended up with a small amount of IDC (stage I) in the other breast this winter. She is about to start hormone therapy this time.
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Lago - my hair is thicker also since chemo. Even though I always had a full head of hair - it is hard to imagine having more now than ever. Like you, I started on March 1st of this year.
Ok, I don't know if it is the power of suggestion or what but my knees have started to ache really bad. I am like an old lady going from the sitting position to the standing position.
I saw my oncologist yesterday and I didn't even bother complaining about all of the joint and muscle pain because seriously - it won't do any good. I have resigned myself to the fact that I am probably going to hurt for another 3 years.
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Jancie
are you taking all the supplements you need? Vitamin D level checked??
I sound like a broken reconrd about this, but my knees were SO BAD, I could hardly straighten my legs, stairs were impossible. I started seeing an Acupuncturist - sile now when I look down at the two "porcupines" on my knees during treatment. I have NO MORE KNEE pain. Acupuncture is especially good at treating "inflammation" - our joint without ANY "juice" - estrogen. I also found relief from ALL joint pain when I started a gluten free diet. Went from about 10 ibeprofen a day to none. Nada. Zilch. No more pain pills.
Hope you find what works for you too.
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I managed to find - through my chiropractor some liquid vitamin D - from Biotics Research - called Bio-D-Mulsion Forte - 1 drop has 2000IUs - so my multi has 1000IU and 2 drops of the liquid is 4000IU - he said that dropping these on the tongue absorbs more of it than the hard pills... I will see...They are in sesame oil - sesame is ok right??
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I managed to find - through my chiropractor some liquid vitamin D - from Biotics Research - called Bio-D-Mulsion Forte - 1 drop has 2000IUs - so my multi has 1000IU and 2 drops of the liquid is 4000IU - he said that dropping these on the tongue absorbs more of it than the hard pills... I will see...They are in sesame oil - sesame is ok right??
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Well they can post those long post all they want I want read them either. I am glad to have an option to keep my cancer at bay. Yes I may complain about the side effects but it hasn't stopped me from taking them. When I started chemo, they was a girl next to me who was back stage !V because she didn't believe she needed the meds. She took the holistic approach and now she has cancer in her bones all over. The last time I saw her I didn't think she was going to make it. Our BC Nurse came up to me and told me don;t let her get you down. She said she didn;t even keep up with her chemo the first time around.
So let the knees hurt...I just try to avoid stairs and getting up and down too much when they are really hurting. My fingers hurt by night time and I know holding the mouse makes it worse...but I am still playing frontierville on FB like they don;t hurt. Life is good and I am trying to move on. Yes We all probably still have great days, wonderful days follwed by a bad day here and there but we are doing the best we can in our healing process.
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Kittydog,
I don't know if you've read how much ACUPUNCTURE has helped my knees. I'm 66, and they were getting creaky b4 Arimidex - after a few years, well, it was not a pretty picture. As I tell friends, now, once a month I go to the MOST wonderful Acupuncturist, look down at the "porcupines on my knees" and now walk stairs, up and down. amazing. Seems acupuncture is expecially helpful dealing with inflammation.
used to have to wear wrist splints to sleep, my hands were THAT bad. Went to a physiotherapist, had a few treatments, she gave me exercises to do, haven't worn wrist splints in years. I also take all the supplements we've talked about on this thread. Finally, I went gluten free about 2 years ago, that made a tremendous difference. NO wheat. I have a lot of brown rice, Quiinoa, grains, but NO wheat - WOW what a positive difference that has made too.
Good luck.
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Hey Sunflowers - did Acupuncture work for you?
hehehe - just kidding! You remind me of JO-5 who once in a while chimes in that SE's are easier to fight than BC. Folks, listen to Sunflowers and give acupuncture a chance. Also have your Vit D levels checked, take glucosamine/chondroitin, try the gluten-free approach, drink plenty of water and exercise, exercise, exercise (even a little helps). Don't discount the holistic approach but check the alternative thread and take what advice you may want to try. Not everything will work for everybody but you never know. Throw everything at it so you can always say you did all in your power.
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Just noticed I have over 4000 posts - I really need a life!
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We are glad you give some of your time to us here, patoo, because you always have good information and inspiration to share!
Kate, don't be afraid to try it. As someone said, if you have bad SEs, you can change to something else or even quit. Most people don't have horrible SEs....but they aren't the ones posting as much because they are mostly off doing other things. In my little town I know quite a few ladies on anti-hormonals; none of us has had unmanageable SEs, and the ones going in thin are still thin, the ones going in a little plump are still plump, and those of us who have always had to fight the battle of the bulge.....we're still fighting the battle of the bulge!
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KATE, FYI, I am losing weight on Arimidex. After a few weeks on the pills, the SE's have subsided. The only SE I have left is a tiny bit of nausea after dinner, but that has cut my eating and evening snacking...Good thing for me, as I need to lose 10 lbs more, to be at my normal BMI. I have lost 7 lbs since my diagnosis. Like Ruth said, you can always change to something else. The very worse thing is recurrence.0
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((((((Patoo))))))
Wonder what gave you the idea I want EVERY woman with AI SE's to try acupuncture
I especially LOVE that Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston has a Ziskin Complementary Care Center, offering ACUPUNCTURE - and SO MANY WOMEN have had relief from neuropathy and joint pain. YEAH, ACUPUNCTURE 
Sunflowers 0 -
Ruth, I really am disappointed. I was hoping for a magic weightloss pill! Actually not - I'd prefer no side effects at all. I do know my sister has been on Arimidex for 9 years and was just diagnosed with major osteoporosis. I may have shared that with you already. Of course, now it is about what drug won't cause side effects for that and there are some nasty ones out there. When I mentioned that to my medical onc, he seemed a bit perturbed that she was on it so long. And he is really a mellow and low key guy. I asked how long I would be on it and he said something to the effect of "For five years. I CERTAINLY would not have you on it for 9 years." That said, she hasn't had any other side effects from it but our systems are totally different. I hope I am as lucky. I have the prescription and expect to start taking the pills tomorrow. I want to know if any side effects are the pills for sure. I expect to start my rads the week of 8/22 and some of the SEs are the same (fatigue, nausea, etc).
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I don't have nausea on anastrazole, but it has affected my appetite a bit (never had a huge appetite anyway). I have lost weight (about 10 pounds) since starting it, but I've also been more strict with myself about walking and exercise. If I miss my 30 minute daily walk I'll walk for an hour the next day.
I've been taking anastrazole for 4 months. I do have some persistent symptoms (new joint stiffness/pain, warm flashes, etc) but a few of the others have tapered off. So far, so OK!
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I have been on the generic Arimidex for two weeks straight. i decided to tough it out. The hot flashes went from 15 a day to three a day, a little more achey than normal, but no appetite. I don't know if it is an SE of Arimidex, since I have dropped some weight since all this cancer stuff started. But I never feel like eating - of course, it can be from all the surgeries I had since Febuary! I plan on continuing with the Arimidex until my onc tells me otherwise.
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My appetite returned after chemo and, dang, everything tastes better than ever!
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ruth, you crack me up!
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You know that it's true, patoo!
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Ruth I never lost my appetite on chemo. I love food
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I lost my appetite on chemo, but it sure is back now. I'm just starting the generic Femara, so we will see how it goes. I've had it 2 days so far, and things seem fine.
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I have 10 more months and I am OFF Arimidex. I have been pretty lucky as far as SE goes. Mile muscle and joint pain but just about 6 months now both toes next to the big toe on the joint has a bump and I can't straighten out the toes, I thought maybe arthritis but it doesn't hurt. I'll bet Arimidex has something to do with that.
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deborye, Did you get the bone density test periodically during Arimidex?0
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Somebody lost their appetitie - really. HAH! The Pillsbury Dough Boy's sister will be my only chance for stardom And it's in places it never was b4! 0
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Hello,
I am new here.
I start Aromasin on Monday and am pretty nervous about it. I have osteoarthritis and don't know how I wll be able to handle increased joint pain. I am one of those few who have gut trouble with Nsaid's. From reading around it looks like I should get off coffee and start exercising more. I lost 20 lbs during radiation therapy. I was just too fatigued to eat. I have Ptsd and take drugs for that. I took Effexor years ago and the side effects were awful for me. Also I have thin bones. At age 50 the bone scan said I had the bones of a 70 year old woman. I will see what this upcoming bone scan says.
5'5" and I weigh 185. I am hoping to start bike riding to get down in weight.
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Question: does sesame oil have estrogen??? My vitamin D is in a sesame oil base...
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Gma, check out the website: Food for breast cancer.com there is a whole page on sesame oil. It appears that sesame oil is not a good thing to be consuming because of it's chemical makeup.
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Hi Jancie,
Thank you for your response. Yeah....exactly. The pain and discomfort do move about but what you described in your post about the area around the hips when lying in bed......ooohhhh ouch. In some strange way it is easier to take once you hear it is something others go through on Arimidex. Even though I was on Femara...and I explained to my onc that I felt like a lab rat.....the Arimidex has been somewhat kinder to my brain.........a bit less depressed...and the brain fog has lessened. The pain is tough.........I am 58 and as I lumber out of bed to get ready for work each day I feel like I am 90. Some nights are worse than others and I find Tylenol doesn't even touch it. I have Percocet in my medicine cabinet but have not resorted to it as it makes me feel too weirded out the next morning. I do at times take warm tub soaks with bags of epsom salts..........helps temporarily. Thank you again for sharing .......it really does help. Be well.
Pat
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I've meant to ask, does anyone notice that their rings don't fit anymore? I wonder if my hands are swollen, or if it's that I weigh 15 pounds more than I did when diagnosed 4 1/2 years ago?
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I've been on generic Arimidex for 12 days. The first few days I had trouble sleeping and had hot flashes - I am 50 and had extremely regular periods before TAC chemo and they have not returned since. I had about two years of hot flashes off and on before chemo. I only have maybe one hot flash a day now and am sleeping fine but I do notice joint pain and some back pain. Ibuprofen really helps but I can't take much of it because I have proctitis and it worsens that. But I am absolutely thrilled to be able to take this stuff because I was originally was told I was ER negative. Following chemo then surgery they retested the tumor and found 5-10% of the cells with intermediate staining for ER receptors. It is low positivity but the onc said the AIs would reduce my chance of recurrence by 50%. So...I am determined to try my best to move through the side effects and get back to cycling and eventually running, aerobics classes, etc. For now I am walking and making myself stretch.
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Thank you stage1..I think I will be ok with the D drops.. I only take 2 drops a day (4000IUs) and it is used just as a base for the D..I will ask my nutritionist on tuesday
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